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Hulry
Hulry is a county and the largest island of Barlovia, located between Barlovia and Coreune on the west side of the Hulry Strait, 8 miles off the north coast of the county of Saronshire, separated from the mainland by the Tynes Water. The island is known for its outstanding natural beauty, its world-famous sailing based at the town of Hoxett, and its resorts, which are popular holiday destinations. Queen Helen maintains a summer residence just east of Hoxett. The island's maritime and industrial history encompasses boat building, sail making, the manufacture of the world's first hovercraft, and the testing and development of Barlovia's space rockets. The island is easily accessible from Norrilund by hovercraft. Several ferry services operate across the Tynes Water: the route from Norrilund to Hoxett is approximately 100 miles long, but shorter routes running directly across the strait are as short as 20 miles. With the recent construction of the Hulry Rail Tunnel, the island is easier to reach than ever, requiring a trip of only 55 miles or just over 1 hour to the first station on Hulry. Geography Northern Hulry is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the famous chalk downland ridge, running along the entire eastern coast of the island and ending in the island of Little Hulry and a series of sea stacks. The rest of the island's landscape also has great diversity, with perhaps the most notable habitats being the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are spectacular features as well as being very important for wildlife. The southern coast of the island is riddled with resorts, wealthy estates, and small sailing villages which are bustling with tourists in the summer. The south coast features numerous protected harbors and coves, many having a marina or yacht club. The recent construction of the Hulry Railroad has seen a large increase in construction in this area. Main Towns * Hoxett, located in the southeastern corner of the island, is the county town of Hulry County and is the island's main shopping area. Recent developments include a new rail station with retail complex and a new hotel district on the beach, both serving the new influx of tourists. Located on the harbor, Hoxett Quay was a busy port until the a few decades past, but has now been mainly converted into art galleries, apartments and other meeting places. The beaches of Hoxett attract many tourists each year. Every summer there is a Carnival in two parts, spread over more than one day: one in the daytime, and one at night with many coloured lights. * Rexfoll is the nearest town on Hulry to the mainland, and it also attracts many tourists each year. It is home to the Hulry Zoo and Rexfoll Paleontological Museum (which features many enormous specimens recovered from the island's cliffside fossil beds), and the island's only golf course. * Munsall is located in the agricultural lands in the northern part of the island, and is home to Barlovia's primary rocket launch complex, Munsall Fields. Culture The people of Hulry speak a dialect of Hallandic known as Hulrish, which is mostly recognizable to a Hallandic speaker but features a thick accent and a handful of unfamiliar words and expressions. The Hulrish dialect is falling out of fashion with the island's youth, who have lived with more and more contact with the mainland. Hoxett is a famous centre for sailing, playing host to several racing regattas. The Hulry Cup is the longest-running regular regatta in the world, with over 400 yachts and 3,000 competitors taking part in numerous classes of yacht racing. Economy The largest industry on Hulry is tourism, but the island has a strong agricultural heritage, including sheep and dairy farming and the growing of arable crops. Traditional agricultural commodities are more difficult to market off the island because of transport costs, but island farmers have managed successfully to exploit some specialist markets. The high price of these products overcomes the transport costs. One of the most successful agricultural sectors at present is the growing of salad crops, including tomatoes and cucumbers, in specially designed hermetic greenhouses. Hulry has a longer growing season than much of Barlovia and this also favours such crops. Garlic has been successfully grown in Munsall for many years. The favourable climate has led to the success of vineyards, and lavender is also grown for its oil. The largest sector of agriculture has traditionally been dairying. The making of sailcloth, boats and other connected maritime industry has long been associated with the island, although this has somewhat diminished in recent years. Hoxett is still home to various small marine-related companies such as boat-builders. The Barlovian Hovercraft Corporation is based in Hoxett. It is the world's first and most important producer of hovercraft. Category:Counties of Barlovia Category:Locations in Barlovia Category:Locations